1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to digital networks and, more specifically, to performing system management functions on residential gateways or similar customer premises equipment in a digital network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital service providers are using their networks to deliver an ever-broadening array of services to their subscribers' or customers' homes, businesses or other premises. Whereas once a digital subscriber line (DSL) was used solely to provide subscribers with Internet Web and e-mail access, today's service providers wish to bundle Internet service with voice (telephony) and video (television) services. (Such bundled Internet, voice and video service is sometimes colloquially referred to as “triple play” service.) Optical fiber-based technologies, such as the passive optical network (PON), offer perhaps even more promising alternatives to DSL. Fully optical networks, which some have referred to as “fiber-to-the-premises” (FTTP), are increasingly being developed and deployed.
The interface at the customer premises between the customer's computers or other devices and the service provider network has evolved along with the services and network technologies. The venerable DSL modem (transceiver) is increasingly being supplanted by a device known as a residential gateway. A residential gateway provides a simplified way for a user to connect or bridge a local area network (LAN) to the service provider network.
A residential gateway generally needs to be set up, configured or otherwise subjected to an automated software installation process before it can be used. When the manufacturer or service provider ships a residential gateway to a customer, a CD-ROM or DVD storage disk with installation software is generally included. The customer loads the disk onto his computer, which is connected to one of the residential gateway LAN ports. The computer addresses the gateway through a fixed or static Internet Protocol (IP) address during the installation procedure. The installation software may have a Web browser user interface. Nevertheless, this fixed IP address is generally used only for such local installation or maintenance purposes and is not intended to be remotely accessed through the Internet. The fixed IP address is typically an address selected from one of the three blocks of addresses reserved by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) private internets (local networks): 10.0.0.0-10.255.255.255; 172.16.0.0-172.31.255. As the IP address is only valid for local access, all residential gateways can use the same fixed IP address for installation purposes. In normal use, communicating with the service provider network, the residential gateway typically will dynamically acquire its (Internet-recognized, routable, etc.) IP addresses using the dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP).
Once a residential gateway has been set up and otherwise installed, it can be used in the normal manner. If a problem arises, or if software needs to be re-installed or reconfigured, the customer may not need to perform those processes, as in many cases the network service provider can remotely (i.e., via the network itself) re-configure software and perform other management tasks upon the residential gateway.
As triple-play service becomes more common, security and convenience considerations will become even more important, and residential gateways are being developed to accommodate those considerations. The more advanced residential gateways will allow a user to connect any of a variety of digital devices to the residential LAN, such as computers, (television) set-top boxes, voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephones, IP fax machines, etc. It is important that the user not be unduly inconvenienced by having to perform complicated procedures or tasks to prepare the residential gateway for use. Already, the longstanding username-and-password login procedure for providing network security is being supplanted by automated port-based network authentication, such as that defined by the IEEE 802.1x standard. “Authentication” refers generally to the process by which a network verifies that a residential gateway or other client device attempting to access the network is authorized to access the network and blocks access if the authentication process indicates that the device lacks authorization. Authentication serves a service provider's goals of maintaining control over security and minimizing user inconvenience. The initial setup or installation procedures that currently involve a user loading a disk and running installation software, as well as software upgrading and maintenance procedures, are targets for improvements in convenience.
Failure of the gateway to successfully authenticate when it should have is problematic for the network service provider because it may indicate a residential gateway malfunction. It is similarly problematic for the network service provider when other processes that must occur before a residential gateway becomes operable fail, such as dynamic allocation of an IP address to the gateway. It is possible for a residential gateway to malfunction for a variety of reasons, including configuration errors, a software bug or, in the case of a gateway that has been in prior use, a virus. New software may need to be installed to fix the problem. When authentication, dynamic IP address allocation, or other such processes fail when they should not have, the service provider may consider sending the customer a disk with new software to load or dispatching service personnel to the premises because, without authentication and allocation of an IP address, it is generally not possible for the service provider to remotely perform configuration or other system management tasks on the residential gateway. If dispatched to the customer premises, a service technician can connect a portable diagnostic or service computer to the residential gateway that is perhaps malfunctioning or in need of a software upgrade and communicate through a port using the above-mentioned fixed IP address. A more convenient mechanism for providing such system management and maintenance is clearly needed. Furthermore, especially in triple-play environments, for security and convenience reasons, service providers would prefer that a customer not perform any configuration, setup or installation procedures on residential gateways. Rather, such procedures should be transparent from the customer's perspective.
It would be desirable for a network service provider to be able to remotely perform system management functions on a residential gateway, such as reconfiguring, upgrading or installing software, even in the event of failure of processes that enable the residential gateway to communicate normally with the network. The present invention addresses these problems and deficiencies and others in the manner described below.